Liverpool City Region joins plan to prepare workers for clean energy jobs

The Liverpool City Region has joined leaders from across the North West and North Wales in agreeing a shared plan to ensure local people can benefit from one of the biggest economic opportunities facing the region.

The newly publishedClean Energy Skills Regional Action Planand accompanyingNorth West Clean Energy Jobs Evidence Base Final Reportset out how industry, education providers and local government can work together to build the workforce needed to deliver the UK’s clean energy ambitions while creating new opportunities for residents, businesses and communities.

The evidence shows that demand for clean energy workers across the North West and North Wales is expected to rise sharply over the next decade, driven by investment in nuclear power, offshore wind, hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, electricity networks, home retrofit programmes and other clean energy technologies. The region’s clean energy workforce is forecast to grow from around 19,500 workers today to more than 30,000 by 2030, peaking at almost 35,000 jobs in 2028.

When home retrofit and low-carbon heating are included, demand could exceed 105,000 workers by 2035. The research also identifies a requirement for at least 16,000 additional workers over the next four to five years.

The reports highlight growing demand for electricians, engineers, heat pump installers, construction professionals, technicians, project managers, welders and pipefitters, with many of these occupations supporting wider growth across construction, manufacturing, infrastructure and advanced engineering.

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Cabinet Member for Energy and Environment, Cllr Angela Ball, said:

“We want the Liverpool City Region to be at the forefront of the green industrial revolution, leading the charge towards net zero, and taking advantage of the myriad of jobs, investment and opportunities that it will provide.”

“From our existing strengths in wind and solar power, to transformative projects like HyNet and our Mersey Tidal Power scheme, our region has the potential to be Britain’s Renewable Energy Coast – with local people benefiting from the employment and training opportunities that go with it.

“This action plan shows that the transition to green energy isn’t just necessary to tackle the climate emergency but will also generate tens of thousands of high-quality jobs for local people, right across our region.”

Local Energy and Jobs Minister Martin McCluskey said:

“We are putting power back into every postcode – and this regional action plan is proof of how local places can lead the way in seizing the opportunities to reindustrialise.

Jobs in clean energy are growing fast, including work that AI simply can’t do – and the North West and North Wales is in prime position to reap these benefits, from offshore wind to carbon capture and storage.”

The reports were commissioned by Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington, in partnership with Net Zero North West and the North West Net Zero Hub, with funding from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s Office for Clean Energy Jobs.

The work brought together employers, colleges, universities, training providers, industry bodies and local authorities from Cheshire and Warrington, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Liverpool City Region and North Wales.

Recognising that labour markets and supply chains operate across geographical boundaries, the plan establishes a shared regional approach to workforce development, helping ensure that clean energy investment translates into jobs and opportunities for local people.

The action plan identifies a series of practical interventions to help address future workforce challenges, including new pre-apprenticeship programmes, targeted support for people returning to work, enhanced collaboration between employers and training providers, and new approaches to careers advice and industry engagement.

Turning opportunity into prosperity

Major projects expected to drive workforce demand include the HyNet industrial decarbonisation cluster, offshore wind developments in the Irish Sea, the proposed Mersey Tidal Power Project, electricity network upgrades, major nuclear developments and large-scale home retrofit programmes.

The Clean Energy Jobs Evidence Base concludes that while the North West already possesses major strengths in engineering, manufacturing, construction and industrial innovation, coordinated action is needed to ensure employers can access the workforce required to deliver future projects and investment opportunities.

Building the workforce of the future

The reports emphasise that many of the skills needed for the clean energy transition already exist within the region’s workforce. However, significant investment in retraining, upskilling and attracting new entrants will be required if the North West is to capture the full economic benefits of the transition.

James Johnson, Head of Regional Programme at the North West Net Zero Hub,said: 

“The North West has a huge opportunity to benefit from the clean energy transition, but success depends on having the right workforce in place.

“This action plan brings partners together around a shared understanding of future demand, helping ensure local people and businesses can benefit from the jobs and investment ahead.”

Elaine Bowker, Principal and Chief Executive of The City of Liverpool College said

“Our new national clean energy skills centre at Liverpool Waters, built in the summer of 2026, following our designation as Clean Energy Technical Excellence centre in April 2026, acts as a blueprint of how we as a region have responded at pace. Bringing together sector expertise with our partner TASK, educators across the region and global stakeholders to support the delivery of the regions energy security ambitions.

“This work demonstrates both the scale of the opportunity facing our region and the importance of acting now to prepare our workforce for a rapidly changing future: one in which technical skills will be of critical importance.”

The reports conclude that success will depend on continued collaboration between employers, education providers and government, supported by a shared understanding of future workforce demand and a commitment to ensuring the economic benefits of the clean energy transition are felt across all communities.